Today In History: Aug. 29

Today’s Highlight in History: On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast near Buras, Louisiana, bringing floods that devastated New Orleans. More than 1,800 people in the region died.

On this date

1877: The second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Brigham Young, died in Salt Lake City, Utah, at age 76.

1935: The film “Top Hat,” starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

1958: Pop superstar Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana.

1964: Roy Orbison’s single “Oh, Pretty Woman” was released on the Monument label.

1965: Gemini 5, carrying astronauts Gordon Cooper and Charles “Pete” Conrad, splashed down in the Atlantic after eight days in space.

2010: Five years after Hurricane Katrina’s wrath, President Barack Obama sought to reassure disaster-weary Gulf Coast residents during a speech at Xavier University that he would not abandon their cause. “Mad Men” received its third consecutive Emmy Award for Best Drama Series; “Modern Family” won for Best Comedy Series. The United States’ five-year reign as Little League World Series champions ended as Tokyo defeated Waipahu, Hawaii, 4-1. Brian McCann hit a game-winning homer with help from video replay, giving the Atlanta Braves a stunning 7-6 victory over the Florida Marlins; it was the first time a game ended using a video review.

2014: A federal judge threw out new Texas abortion restrictions that would have effectively closed more than a dozen clinics statewide in a victory for opponents of tough new anti-abortion laws sweeping across the U.S. (The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later ruled that Texas could fully implement the abortion law, but the Supreme Court later said the clinics should be allowed to operate, pending appeal.)